so,

1) i don't believe in charity. that is, i don't believe that the right approach to addressing poverty is to hand out funds on the street, nor to throw change at people or to force them to go into a religious establishment. this is degrading, all around; it reinforces a class structure. what i do in canada when i run into pushy poor people on the street is that i initiate a conversation about the ontario disability support program. i apologize if it harms your conception of human nature, but this generally produces the honest response that they don't give to most people: paying rent means less money for drugs. they'll get higher on the street. if what they were saying was actually true, they'd do what i've done: get a diagnosis from a doctor and a check from the government every month. i understand that even getting access to a doctor is difficult in michigan, but it doesn't change my moral beliefs around the subject, which are that everybody is entitled to an amount of resources that ensures they don't have to beg on the street.

2) even if i did believe in charity, i have to reinforce the fact that i'm a recipient of it, not a producer of it. it doesn't make sense to ask people on welfare or disability to give their money to homeless people. and, i apologize if you're confused about my financial situation, but that's not my fault, either.

3) i don't enjoy pamphleteering, and i'm not really good with people face-to-face. but, if i can be of any service in arguing for an expansion of social services in detroit or in michigan through the process of essay writing or message board rhetoric, i'm willing to take requests. if i haven't just done that.